LETTERS: Thoughts on congressional representation, 9/11 victims and lake of burning sulfer (as published in the Waco Tribune, 9/10/2019)

By word and deed I respond to your recent editorial “What should Wacoans expect of 2020 congressional candidates?” I share your observations of the Washington circus and the “abyss into which our republic appears destined.” It is, in fact, the reason I decided to run two years ago and to run again in 2020.

I understand the frustration that you and many others have felt over the last decade being represented in Washington by someone who “couldn’t point to Waco on a map,” as one Wacoan recently said to me. But to insist that Waco and McLennan County can only be fully represented in Congress by a resident is to potentially deny the other half-million-plus residents of the 17th their fair representation.

Nobody is from everywhere. I suggest rather that you look for a candidate who best fulfills the other criteria you define while at the same time spending the time necessary in Waco and McLennan County to listen to the people to understand the local issues. If the candidate you elect fails to live up to that ideal, you have the power to fire them in two short years.

Texans deserve a candidate who will look them in the eye and tell them the truth — even when it isn’t politically convenient.

Texans deserve a candidate who won’t be beholden to special interests — that’s why I rejected corporate PAC contributions on Day 1 of my campaign.

The stakes in 2020 are high. Fighting corruption and indifference of D.C., the gun-violence epidemic, fighting for access to health care and more are all on the ballot. I will always work with the community to make sure their needs are met and I’ll be a champion in D.C. to ensure that we come up with solutions to keep our communities safe and prosperous.